In a landmark moment for Pakistan cricket, the home side secured a thrilling 2-1 series victory against South Africa after an impressive seven-wicket win in the third ODI at Faisalabad. Pakistan chased down a target of 144 with more than half the overs remaining, marking their ODI series triumph on home soil against the Proteas.
Opener Saim Ayub starred with a fluent 77 off 70 balls, including 11 fours and a six, energizing the chase from the start. He formed a crucial 65-run partnership with Babar Azam, who added 27 before a run-out. Abrar Ahmed’s leg-spin proved decisive — his career-best figures of 4-27 dismantled South Africa’s batting line-up and set the tone early.
South Africa began well, thanks to a 72-run opening stand between Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, but collapsed to 143 all-out in 37.5 overs after their middle order crumbled under Pakistan’s spin attack. The win marked a strong start for skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi in his role as ODI captain.
With this victory in Faisalabad, Pakistan emphasised their home dominance and demonstrated both batting depth and spin strength. As fans celebrated across the stands, players and analysts acknowledged that this series win could boost confidence and momentum for the team’s upcoming white-ball challenges.
